Political Quotes

“Mr. President, let me thank the chairman for her consideration. I rise in support of the Zika supplemental amendment offered by Senators Murray and Blunt, as well as the amendment offered by Senator Nelson. The threat of the Zika virus is a serious public health issue and Congress must act to help minimize the spread before we have an epidemic on our hands. It has been over 2 months since the Administration asked for emergency funds for a comprehensive response to the Zika virus and to speed up development of a vaccine. This should not be a partisan issue, and inaction leaves us more susceptible to this serious public health emergency. This disease is spreading rapidly in other countries, and as we saw last year with Ebola--and with other mosquito-borne illnesses--we are living in an interconnected world and we are not immune to the spread of these diseases. Already, there are over 1,000 cases of Zika virus in the United States and U.S. territories, including over 100 pregnant women. We have only seen two cases so far in my home State of Rhode Island, but the virus is spreading and it isn't going away on its own. We will certainly see these numbers increase as we approach the summer months.…”